The applicant claims and requests a foreign priority, through the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, based on a patent application filed in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) with the filing date of Dec. 10, 1999, with the application number 1999-28639, by the applicant. (See the Attached Declaration)
The present invention relates to a lock construction, and more particularly to an improved lock construction that enhances locking performance by simplifying a slide bar and slide pins required for locking or unlocking a lock.
As shown in FIG. 6, a slide bar according to a conventional lock includes a plurality of protrusions 51 along the inner side of the slide bar 50. A plurality of recesses 53 are formed along the outer periphery of the pin 52. Such a conventional lock construction requires a considerable number of processing steps while deteriorating productivity due to difficult in precision manufacturing, thereby increasing production cost while disadvantageously reducing the ease of unlocking.
Also, each pin and the hole for receiving the pin are formed cylinderically so that the friction on area becomes too large during the locking or unlocking operation and the pin is exposed to contact, friction and stress about the entire circumference, thereby interrupting and hindering a smooth locking operation. Further, because the locking c construction is mechanically sensitive, such a slight abrasion may damage product reliability.
The present invention is devised and contrived to overcome the conventional disadvantages. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lock construction which decreases difficulty in unlocking and increases product lifecycle, while further facilitating the locking/unlocking operation.
It is a substantial advantage to reduce the surface area contact between the rectangular slide pins and the slide pin holes to improve ease of operation in the locking and unlocking steps. This ease of operation is accomplished by matching the shape of the rectangular slide pin and arc shaped indentations in the slide pin holes to minimize their surface area contact. Alternate shapes of the rectangular slide pin and indentations are possible, which accomplish the same advantage and objective of reducing and minimizing surface area contact and friction during the sliding movement.
To achieve the above-described object, the lock construction according to the present invention includes an outer fixed body and an inner rolling body, a hooking recess formed in an inner peripheral surface portion of the outer fixed body. A receiving recess formed in an outer peripheral surface portion of the inner rolling body. A slide bar having a linearly formed inner side is elastically provided in the locking construction. About five slide pin holes in rectangular are formed perpendicular to the receiving recess. An arc-shaped indentation is formed on each interior wall of the slide pin holes. A plurality of rectangular slide pins have grooves located at different heights on the rectangular slide pins and protrusions differently opposing the grooves so that the grooves may receive the slide bar and the protrusions may open to the openings.
When the rectangular slide pins fluctuate through the respective slide pin holes, the arc-shaped indentations formed on each interior wall of the slide pin holes decrease the surface friction area, thereby smoothing the fluctuation movement of the rectangular slide pins. It is a substantial advantage to reduce the surface area contact between the rectangular slide pins and the slide pin holes to improve ease of operation in the locking and unlocking steps. Although not illustrated in the drawings, an embodiment of the lock construction has the entire interior wall of the slide pin hole as arc shaped, thus forming a circular slide pin hole.
In summary and further detailed explanation the lock construction includes an outer fixed body having a hooking recess. An inner rolling body having a receiving recess. A slide bar having a linearly formed inner side. A plurality of slide pins having grooves and protrusions. A plurality of slide pin holes formed within the inner rolling body, the slide pin holes having an interior wall and an opening. The interior wall has an arc-shaped indentation that is formed on a portion of the interior wall of the slide pin holes. The surface contact and friction between the slide pin holes and the slide pins is substantially reduced by the arc-shaped indentation during the sliding movement.
The hooking recess is formed in an inner peripheral surface portion of the outer body, the receiving recess is formed in an outer peripheral surface portion of the inner rolling body, wherein the slide bar having the linearly formed inner side is elastically provided in the locking construction. The plurality of slide pin holes are formed perpendicular to the receiving recess. The plurality of slide pins have grooves that are on different locations on the slide pins, and protrusions differently opposing the grooves so that the grooves when properly aligned may receive the slide bar, and the protrusions may be received by the openings.
The plurality of slide pin holes and slide pins can take various configurations that minimizes the friction and surface contact between the slide pins and the slide pin holes. The preferred embodiment has the slide pins rectangular in shape, with the slide pin holes substantially rectangular, with the one or more arc shaped indentations on the interior wall of the slide pin holes. The elasticity of the slide bar can be accomplished by springs or other methods. The lock construction can include the slide bar and the rectangular slide pins formed extending through the outer fixed body and the inner rolling body. Although the present invention is briefly summarized, the fuller understanding of the invention can be obtained by the following drawings, detailed description and appended claims.